Yum

Some things just scream Christmas to me.  These are the same things that my mind goes to when the wind is throwing the snow around outside and we’re on our holiday countdown on a day like today.  They were forecasting 15- 25 cm of snow a couple of days ago when I made these!  If you’re familiar at all with Czech baking or sweets then you know that a holiday season is never complete without some serious rum.  Rum has never been my drink of choice, yet somehow, Christmas cookies just wouldn’t be complete if the rum was missing.  We put rum in most chocolate, we brush it on cakes, we soak things in it, we fill things with it, we dribble it (okay… pour it really) into all sorts of recipes!

I might also add that this really needs to be a strong and very stinky rum… the more smell the better.  I have been harbouring a bottle, that I brought back from Prague, that no one drinks, but I just use for just these kinds of things.  The one I have is Bozkov Original Tuzemsky. I’m actually not sure if you can get it outside of the Czech Republic but my mother will tell you that Screech is also good (I’m actually not sure if I spelled that correctly since I  don’t know my booze).

I’ve always loved these Coconut Rum Balls, they just soak up the rum and are so stinking good it’s insane… I could seriously get drunk on them!  When I mentioned to my mom that I was going to make them and wanted to confirm the recipe this is pretty much what she told me.

“You generally make these at the end, right before Christmas because you put any/all bits and pieces of the baking that didn’t turn out so well in it.  You always have cookies that break or are leftovers… you crumble them up and add them in.”

“There really isn’t a “recipe” just a kind of way of making it.”

I have to tell you, these ones that I made, I didn’t put scraps, because I didn’t yet have any, but will probably make them again.  And even though they aren’t exactly like anyone else’s, they taste exactly like home!

Rum Balls

• 4 Cups Walnuts (you can use any kind of nut)
• 4 Cups of Nila Cookies (this is where you can use left overs… or any kind of plain… or chocolate cookie)
• 1 Cup Softened Butter
• 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (mine was 300 ml)
• 1 liberal splash of any booze you like… or go traditional and use Rum.
• 1 Cup Coconut Flakes or Toasted Coconut Flakes (to roll the balls in)

I run the nuts through the food processor and once ground put in a large bowl.  Do the same with the cookies.  Add the butter and pour in the condensed milk. Then add the splaaaaaaash of booze and mix by hand.  Yes folks, this is where you get down and dirty with the dough.  No fancy mixing utensils here… just mix well by hand and you can even lick off your fingers before washing off….. YUMMY BONUS!!!  Don’t worry if the dough is a little soft.  Cooling it off will allow the flavours to meld as well as allow the mixture to harden a bit so place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight and roll them into large marble sized balls the next day.  Roll them in the coconut and place in festive candy cups.  Make sure you store these either in the fridge, freezer or in a cold room otherwise they get pretty soft and they’re actually better a little stiff.

Lastly, just watch these bad boys disappear!